No idea. They'll be built as charter flights and run through the open time system. Only requirements is that the trip starts and finishes in a crew base. In between, depends where the cargo is and where it's going.

 

My best guess - it was a decision based on the number of pilots SWA thinks it is going to need x number of years from now. They had some choices. They really didn't want to furlough and so they looked for the least expensive option that would allow them to right size their manning without furlough. They weighed this vs the hard to quantify factor of doing right by its people and how that may pay off later down the road and came up with a number that they were willing to live with.
I am actually impressed and somewhat surprised. They overmanned the airline a couple of years ago on purpose and they are owning the decision in a very smart way. They are trimming the expensive fat off the top and getting flight ops back to being an efficient open market where it tends to thrive. The option to offer voluntary ETO that you can be recalled from is also smart. Now you don't have furloughs poisoning the well when it is time to recall.
It's about down to brass tacks and it looks like SWA is doing right by its people. It's a business decision that will, more than likely, pay dividends once demand returns, and it will.

 

I view them as two different business decisions. E6 hit the nail on the head with regards to manning. I was genuinely surprised at the ETO/VSP offering.

I have always believed there is a monetary value to being the only Major Carrier to not furlough. I think the company realizes this as well.

 

Fully agreed. To me this offer shows just how much the company does not want to furlough.

 

Yup. These schedules will feature such niceties as no PAX of FA drama. BRING IT!!!

 

Jump all over it. Definitely not rubber dog crap out of Hong Kong with lite twins having no legs for it anyway, but the no PAX, FA stuff and door open should sell itself. That’s goodness right there.

 

It’s all fun and games until I blow a slide.

 

Ha Ha So true. Unfortunately we have had one or more of those incidents on converted 74 freighters. At least the handle is torso height accessible for us older folk. 10s of thousands to repack is an issue... Good catch!

 

I love flying ferries. No drama, no pretend niceties. Need to use the lav? Adios, you've got it all.
I learned to make my own coffee years and fetch my own cans of water early on. I'm good.

 

Amen. I’d be okay with flying all ferries or cargo.